Shelf assembly finds its application in a variety of domestic and industrial applications. Generally, shelves of the shelf assembly are storage units which may be either temporarily connected to the shelf assembly or permanently fixed to the shelf assembly. The shelf of the storage units may be used in, but not limited to, cupboards, almirahs, shoe racks, refrigerators, inventory storage racks, supermarkets racks and grocery storage racks etc. The shelves are generally flat structures and are used to store and/or display objects placed onto the shelves. Typically the shelves are supported or hinged/pivoted at side walls of the shelf assembly in order to provide stable support for the shelves. The shelves which are hinged are less stable when compared with the shelves which are supported structure. The shelves in many applications tend to get loaded at different locations on the shelf. Sometimes, by virtue of object's weight, load acting on the shelves may exceed the normal load withstanding capacities of the shelf.
For the hinged shelves, the loading or unloading of the shelves may lead to imbalances in the shelf and thereby the entire shelf assembly. Also, sometimes, the shelves have to be dismantled or removed from the shelf assembly for various activities such as transportation, maintenance/cleaning etc. Some of the shelves are also designed such that, they may be rearranged to vary the height or level within the space available in cabinet of the shelf assembly using suitable actuation means. During actuation of such shelves, load placed over each of the shelves tend to tilt the entire shelf causing the loads to tip over or fall off from the shelf. During such a scenario, the load or the articles placed over the shelf gets displaced or prone to break due to the sudden change in displacement of the shelf. Moreover, the tilting effect acting on the shelf causes even more ordeal to the shelf assembly due to the collapse of the shelves. Also, when a shelf tilts on its axis, the objects placed on the shelf are thrown to the lower level shelves causing damage.
For example, in refrigerators, there are a number of shelves installed in various levels of the refrigerator compartment. Storing different articles with varied dimensions and volumes in the various shelves of the refrigerator is possible by adjusting, and re-ordering the shelves of the refrigerator. During this process, the shelf is in a free fall motion and there are possibilities with the shelf tilting to its sides. Thus adjusting the shelves in the refrigerator demands the user to maintain equilibrium of the loads placed on the shelf during movement. Also, the user has to make sure that, the shelves do not tilt and cause damage to the articles placed on the shelf.
Hence, there is a need for an adjustable shelf assembly to have an anti-tilt mechanism which prevents the shelves from tilting during the movement of the shelf.